SCHOOL BOARD ACTION REPORT DATE: May 19. 2021 FROM: Dr. Brent C. Jones, Interim Superintendent LEAD STAFF: JoLynn Berge, Chief Financial Officer; James Bush; Chief of Equity, Partnerships, and Engagement; Carri Campbell, Chief of Public Affairs; Rob Gannon; Deputy Superintendent; Greg Narver, Chief Legal Counsel; Dr. Concie Pedroza, Chief of Student Support Services; Fred Podesta, Chief Operations Officer; Dr. Keisha Scarlett, Chief Academic Officer, Noel Treat, Chief Human Resources Officer; Dr. Mia Williams, Chief of the Office of African American Male Achievement; Dr. Caleb Perkins, Executive Director of College & Career Readiness; Julia Warth, Director of Board Relations and Strategic Initiatives, [email protected], 206.252.0124 For Introduction: May 19, 2021 For Action: May 26, 2021 1. TITLE Approval of Resolution 2020/21-24, approving Seattle Public Schools’ Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plan for submission to OSPI on June 1, 2021. 2. PURPOSE This Board Action would approve Resolution 2020/21-24 and the Seattle Public Schools’ Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plan for submission to OSPI on June 1, 2021, as required in House Bill 1368, Chapter 3, Laws of 2021. 3. RECOMMENDED MOTION I move that the School Board approve Resolution 2020/21-24 and the attached Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plan for submission to OSPI on June 1, 2021, as required by House Bill 1368, Chapter 3, Laws of 2021 and approve receipt of Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding. 4. BACKGROUND INFORMATION a. Background The Washington State Legislature passed House Bill 1368 during the 2021 legislative session. The bill requires school districts to submit an Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plan to the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) by June 1, 2021 in order for districts to receive their Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding as authorized by the America Rescue Plan Act of 2021. OSPI created a template for the plan, including components required in HB 1368 to address student academic and well-being needs “resulting from school building closures and extended time in remote learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.” The 1 OSPI template includes identification of diagnostic assessment tools by grade level, identification of student learning and well-being needs, strategies to support students most impacted by building closures, community engagement, and the use of an equity tool. The plan must be approved by the Board at a public meeting and there must be an opportunity for public comment, which can occur at a regular meeting of the Board. The opportunity for public comment is being provided through testimony during the May 19, 2021 Regular Board meeting as well as through a Let’s Talk form available online until May 25, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. at the following link: https://www.k12insight.com/Lets- Talk/Dialogue.aspx?k=PR2B78N4B9LT@WF7G2YLT@DY6Z1KXLT. Feedback received through Let’s Talk will be shared with the Board. The plan must also be posted on the district website in an ADA accessible format with translation available prior to submitting to OSPI. The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2 also requires districts to create plans in order to receive ESSER III funds. The plan elements include those required by OSPI, as well as how the district will adhere to CDC health and safety guidance and ensure continuity of academic and other services for students. The ARP ESSER plan focuses on planned expenditures for the ESSER III funds, while the Safe Return to In-Person and Continuity of Services Plan focuses more on the services and strategies. The Safe Return to In-Person and Continuity of Services Plan must be submitted 30 days after receipt of ESSER III funds by the district. The plans must be posted online publicly in an ADA accessible format and with translation available. The plans may be combined by OSPI. Seattle Public Schools submitted earlier plans for the 2020-21 school year to OSPI regarding instructional model and health and safety, as required. To accompany those plans, the Board also passed resolutions to provide guidance on additional educational innovations, such as outdoor and community education. These resolutions, along with the Board’s current work on student outcomes focused governance in relation to the district strategic plan, Seattle Excellence, have informed the current plan. Instructional Model Based on state requirements from the Governor and State Superintendent as well as the district’s desire to serve students, SPS is planning to have five full days of in-person instruction at all 104 schools in the fall. Staff will spend the next few months working to ensure that this in-person experience is safe, welcoming, and engaging. The district is committed to working with our community to open schools and to welcome back students to in-person learning. At the same time, some students and families will make the request to continue their learning in a fully remote setting. For these students and families, staff are developing virtual options. All options will be guided by the district’s strategic plan, Seattle Excellence, and the student outcome priorities identified by the Board. In addition, the district will draw on everything learned from the many engagement efforts with students and families this year, including the work of the Remote Learning and Outdoor and Community-Based 2 Education Task Forces. And ultimately, the district strives to support all students in their ongoing learning trajectories with all available tools, resources, and opportunities. OSPI Academic and Student Well-Being Recovery Plan The template provided by OSPI for districts to submit the Academic and Student Well- Being Recovery Plan includes six themes: student well-being; student and family voice; professional learning; recovery and acceleration; diagnostic assessment tools; and community partnerships. The plan also requires the use of an equity tool and updates to be made in Fall 2021 and Spring 2022 in a model of continuous improvement. Elements of Seattle Public School’s Strategic Plan and Board goals show a high level of alignment with the required six themes. Many of the themes will be addressed by ongoing, already established initiatives in instructional improvement, current assessments used, future re- examination of our assessment program, social-emotional learning, and community and family engagement. Other examples of workstreams are initiatives that were being planned for the beginning of next school year. All of the data, evidence, and engagement we gathered over the past year informed the plan and emphasis for the start of 21-22 of student well-being and wellness, as well as efforts to make curriculum more responsive to African American males. Staff will continue to engage families and students, monitor data and explore ways in which SPS can better support students and families in a model of Listen, Act, Deliver as part of our continuous improvement strategy. Student Well-Being. Seattle Public Schools is developing a comprehensive plan for well-being of all students, “A Culture of Care.” Components of this plan may include: Tier 1 supports such as monthly community circles; restorative practices; social emotional and trauma informed lessons and supports incorporated into daily instruction; processes to identify students in crisis and access appropriate acute or longer-term supports; strengthening of partnerships with community-based organizations and culturally relevant agencies; and evaluation of supports using the SPS racial equity analysis tool. Student and Family Voice. The Office of Public Affairs (OPA) and the Division of Equity, Partnerships & Engagement (EPE) commenced a start of school outreach and engagement plan that has committed to ongoing engagement with over 20 community based organizations that primarily serve students of color furthest from educational justice. Moving forward, OPA and EPE will convene an internal SPS workgroup to support the ongoing two-way engagement with students, families and communities related to Summer and Fall Start of School. (For additional outreach, see Community Engagement below and Attachment 3). Professional Learning. Professional learning is central to implementation of components of the Recovery Plan and will include training on “Culture of Care” practices (see above and Attachment 3); Science of Reading course for all certificated K-3 teachers; support for culturally responsive instruction; and continue to support professional learning on 3 recent curricular adoptions for Science K-12, Math 6-8, ELA K-5, and Spanish 6-12. These professional development sessions will provide detailed guidance on curriculum, assessment, and instruction to promote culturally relevant, antiracist practices and to maintain high, standards-based expectations for all students. Recovery and Acceleration. Recovery and acceleration efforts will include both universal and targeted supports, including: continuous school improvement plans (CSIP) for every school with specific processes targeting sustained; improvements to implementation of MTSS at the building level; MTSS framework that ensures strong Tier 1 and Tier 2 instruction in foundational literacy skills; Comprehensive Recovery Plans for summer and fall of 2021 for PreK-21 Students with IEPs; continued efforts to expand access to core instruction for multilingual students through co-teaching, co-planning, student schedules, student course advising and scaffolding; and providing additional, targeted resources at 13 priority schools where more than 50% of the district’s K-3 African American boys are enrolled. The professional learning across content areas described above will also help us provide differentiated instruction for all learners, including English Learners, students with IEPs, and advanced learners, so that our classrooms can be more effective and inclusive. In particular, this will help us support a more inclusive approach to our content area classes in the middle school level, especially in Science and Social Studies.